Reloading .223 Question (Challenge)

[Ron40]

Need a little help and hope somebody can get me straightened out -

When reloading 556 NATO (LC) - 223 I use a EGW Chamber Checker . As you can see in the attached photo, one (loaded) case sits .003 higher. After the case is trimmed and resized it drops right into the chamber checker! After loading I get the results you can see, with the cartridge higher than it should be. Trimmed at 1.74" long and loaded to 2.20". Still loads and ejects in my AR 15 ok, but this is driving me nuts.

I use is the full length resizing die (LEE). The die is tight against the brass in the press.

What do you think I am doing wrong?

 

[Rule3]

The length of the case doe not matter as far as fitting a chamber.

I do not know how you case gauge works but the 223/556 spaces off the shoulder of the brass.

If all the brass is the same headstamp and year, and you properly resize it it should all fit the gauge the same. So do they all fit before seating a bullet??

If they all fit before seating the bullet, are you by chance crimping the cases?? If you over crimp you can distort the case enough to not have it fit (just guessing here)

I use a Wilson case gauge and have found that if there is any lube on the brass or in the gauge it will mess it up. Wipe off the brass and clean each hole in the gauge.

 

[andyo5]

I use open ended case gauges myself. Any chance the bullet is interfering?

 

[eyegots2no]

Like Rule3 said, it is the shoulder that matters.

Are you lubing the inside of the necks good enough???

If not, your die resizes the shoulder fine on the down stroke, but, when your expander pulls back through the neck, it can pull the shoulder back out.

However, if I read your question right----you have put the case in the checker B4 seating the bullets and you are fine---it is AFTER you have seated the bullet that it will not flush in the checker. This is very odd.

What happens when you place a factory round in the checker??

If no revelation there, suggest you call Sierra and ask them for advice---it is amazing what they know.

 

[Doubless]

I ran into the same thing a couple of years ago. I had a whole lot of 5.56/.223 cases to re-size, and I got in a hurry. I was more or less just bumping the ram against the top of the stroke, and not letting the brass relax. The result was datum line variation by as much as .010". Once discovered, I started taking my time: FL sizing with RCBS SB dies and letting the ram sit at the top of the stroke for a few seconds after camming over. The result is a consistent datum line, and since I use a Giraud trimmer that indexes off the datum line, the trim lengths are much more consistent as well.

Just a thought...

 

[Ron40]

It was headspace, thanks for your help!

 

[Magload]

I bought a Hornady Headspace Comparator Kit and a Hornady Bullet Comparator Kit and a Hornady OAL Gauge they kits mount on my Hornady Digital Calibrator so I can make a lot of measurements making thesr first rifle reloads. Ron I am glad to see someone else is new to this rifle reloading between the two of us I bet we can ask a lot of questions. Don

 

[Twoboxer]

It was headspace, thanks for your help!

Couple of things don't seem right . . . hope it's just me lol.

My definition of Headspace is:

"The distance measured from the part of the chamber that stops forward motion of the cartridge (the datum reference) to the face of the bolt."

In 223, that would be the shoulder (datum) to base measurement. But after resizing, your cases fit properly in the gauge, indicating the headspace was OK. Headspace shouldn't change after that point.

Second, you mention ". . . after trimming and resizing . . .". Since case growth takes place during resizing, hopefully the resizing took place before the trimming. Otherwise it is possible the case could grow beyond allowed length.

 

[Magload]

Could to much neck tension when seating the bullet cause the problem? I know it can cause a bulge in the shoulder or right below it. also a bullet seating die/crimp adjusted wrong. If I read this right everything was a go till the bullet was added. Don

 

[hanover67]

I had a similar problem, most noticeable when re-sizing .308 Lake City brass. The cases came out with different shoulder lengths, which I attributed to differences in the "springback" between cartridges. I then resized the longer cases again to bring them down to the minimum length I wanted so they would chamber during rapid fire. A lot of work! I'll try the approach of letting them rest at the top of the resizing stroke and see if that helps. Might anneal them too.